croxall



Feb. 14, 1956 R. w. CROXALL 2,734,193

BRASSIERE Filed Dad. 7, 1953 FIG. I.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent BRASSIERE Robert W. Croxall, Arcadia, Calif., assignor to Elaine of Hollywood Brassiere Co., a corporation of Caiifornia Application December 7, 1953, Serial No. 396,521

4 Claims. (Cl. 242) This invention has to do with garments of the brassiere type.

An object of the invention is to provide a garment, such as a brassiere, embodying a novel construction which flexibly supports the breasts of a wearer in a desired uplifted position.

A further object is to provide a brassiere construction embodying breast pockets and having unique breast-supporting bands associated with the pockets which serve to comfortably support the breasts.

Another object is to provide a relatively simple form of garment which can be readily manufactured.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the front of a brassiere embodyin g the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of a portion of the front of the garment;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

More particularly describing the invention, 11 generally indicates the central or front portion of a brassiere which has breast pockets 12 and a central panel 13 all of which may be formed of fabric pieces stitched together in a conventional manner. Extending laterally from the central or front portion are body-encircling side bands 14, 14 and, at the ends of these, attachment straps 15 and 15', strap 15 having holes or eyes 16 for the reception of the hooks 17 on the other strap. Conventional type shoulder straps 18 are each attached at one end to a body-encircling or side band member and at the other end to the central upper margin of a breast pocket.

It is a particular feature of my invention that I provide unique means for flexibly supporting the breasts in a comfortable manner to impart a desired amount of uplift thereto. This means includes a flexible band 20 for each breast pocket. The band 20 is somewhat crescent-shaped and overlies the material of the breast pocket along the lower marginal area thereof. The band 20 has an inner end portion 21 which extends from the medial portion of the breast pocket around the lower marginal area thereof to a point about midway between the upper and lower margins of the breast pocket near the center of the garment. The end portion 21 is tapered, terminating in a point, and the lower margin thereof is attached, as by stitching 22, to the inner, lower marginal area of the breast pocket between the points 23 and 24. The outer end portion of the flexible band, designated 25, may be considered as that portion thereof beyond or laterally outwardly of the point 24. This outer end portion 25 is secured to the outer marginal area of the breast pocket in the lower portion thereof at only two places by a pair of elastic straps 27 which are relatively short and secured by stitching 28 and 29 (Fig. 4) to the material of the body 2,734,193 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 of the garment at one end and to the supporting flexible band at the other. Thus, except for the two elastic attachment members 27, the outer end portion 25 of the band 20 is free.

To lend further support, I provide a suspension strap 31 which is received intermediate its ends in a buckle 32 on the shoulder strap preferably in a manner such that the suspension strap may move through the buckle. At one end the suspension strap 31 is attached at 33 at the upper, inner margin of the breast pocket close to the center of the garment. At its outer end, at 34, the suspension strap 31 is attached to the outer end of the flexible supporting band 20. Although it is not essential, the straps 31 may each include an elastic section, such as that shown at 31'.

With the construction described, the supporting bands 20 and the suspension straps 31 serve to provide a comfortable, unique support for the breasts contained in the breast pockets, and it has been found that, by providing an elastic connection between the outer end portion 25 of each flexible supporting band 20 and by utilizing the suspension strap 31 connected to the outer end of the supporting band with a sliding connection between the suspension strap and the shoulder strap, the garment readily accommodates itself to a particular wearer.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere-type garment having fabric means forming a central portion with a pair of breast pockets, a pair of body-encircling side members extending laterally of the central portion, and a pair of shoulder straps, each strap being attached at one end to the upper margin of a breast pocket and at the other end to a side member, breastsupporting means for each pocket, comprising a flexible band attached along the lower margin of the inner end portion thereof to the lower marginal portion of the breast pocket from a point about midway between the top and bottom of the pocket at the inner margin thereof to about the medial portion of the pocket, the outer end portion of said band extending around the outer lower portion of the pocket outwardly of the medial portion thereof, elastic means securing a portion of the lower margin of the outer end portion of said band to the lower margial portion of the pocket, and suspension means between each said shoulder strap and each of said flexible bands, respectively, said suspension means comprising a strap supported intermediate its ends by a said shoulder strap and attached at one end to the outer end of said flexible band and at its other end to the central portion of the brassiere at the upper inner margin of the breast pocket.

2. A brassiere as set forth in claim 1 in which said flexible band is tapered in width tapering to a point at its inner end and being relatively wider along its outer end portion.

3. A brassiere as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer end of said flexible band extends somewhat above the inner end thereof.

4. In a brassiere-type garment having fabric means forming a central portion with a pair of breast pockets, a pair of body-encircling side members extending laterally of the central portion, and a pair of shoulder straps, each strap being attached at one end to the upper margin of a breast pocket and at the other end to a side member, breastsupporting means for each pocket, comprising a flexible band attached adjacent its inner end portion along its lower margin to the inner lower marginal portion of the breast pocket, the outer end portion of said band extending around the outer lower portion of the pocket, elastic means Securing the lower margin of the outer end portion of each band to the lower margin of its associated breast pocket at tWo spaced points, and a suspension strap supported intermediate its ends by said shoulder strap and attached at one end to the outer end of said flexible band and at its other end to the central portion of the brassiere at the upper inner margin of the breast pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schulze May 29, 1934 Rosenthal Apr. 26, 1938 Walters Oct. 10, 1939 Glasser Apr. 6, 1943 Witkower June 3, 1947 Schenkman Feb. 14, 1950 

